Discovery
by Ivy Tante
Summary: AU! 500 years after the destruction of Midgar, the ShinRa family has died out. Now Tifa Lockhart and her archeology team can finally explore the ShinRa tower. It's taken 6 years to gain approval from the executors of the estate. But when they enter the building, they find far more than they bargained for as it becomes very apparent why they never wanted the ruins investigated...
1. Discovery, Part 1

**A/N:** You know, I think watching an Indiana Jones movie followed by Advent Children, with a light dash of Matrix thrown in for seasoning, is a recipe for disaster. I honestly felt like I was down a deep, dark pit, surrounded by furry, cute but still rabid plot bunnies attempting to gnaw at my ankles - all to prevent me from approaching the shadows hulking in the background. Paranoid much, Ivy?

 **Chapter Summary:** Five hundred years after the destruction of Midgar, the ShinRa family has finally died out. Which means that Tifa Lockhart and her archeology team can now explore the ShinRa tower in the ruins of the city. It's taken six years to gain approval for the project from the executors of the estate, and they waste no time in securing the site. But when they enter the building, they find far more than they bargained for as it becomes very apparent _why_ the ShinRa clan never wanted the ruins investigated…

 **The Discovery, Part 1**

By Ivy Elise Tanté

Rappelling down a rope at high speed from a helicopter was definitely a new experience for Tifa Lockhart. When her feet hit the weathered metal of the old ShinRa tower, she knew she was the first to do so in nearly five hundred years. Both thrills combined had her light-headed with joy and trepidation.

 _Six years_ , she thought as she unfastened her carabiner from the rope. Six years since the death of the last of the ShinRa bloodline. And in all the time before, the clan had refused to allow anyone within the ruins of Midgar. The reasons why they so adamantly opposed archeologists exploring the city had died with them, and Tifa and her colleagues had spent those six years battling it out with the executors of the estate.

Now they were finally here. As she guided one of the parcels of supplies from the helicopter onto a solid surface, Tifa swore they would make the best of the time they were granted. For one month the ruin was theirs to explore. And she and her teammates could hardly wait to get started.

Once all the supplies were offloaded and safely tucked away, they immediately split up and started mapping out the area. Several of the upper floors were shorn off, though by what agency no one remained alive to tell. Within an hour, three different accesses to the inside were discovered, though only one seemed safe enough to actually enter. Choosing her team, Tifa prepared to head down along with Aerith Gainsborough and Yuffie Kisaragi. The remaining six members started assembling the base camp as Tifa hammered in the pitons and threaded the rope through. "Alright, gang. Let's get to work."

The way down was long and very dark. Despite all the windows in the tower, years of neglect and weather had sheathed most in debris and twining vines, casting the way into nearly pitch blackness. Arriving at the bottom, they found themselves in a cramped stairwell whose floor was covered with what was essentially mulch, several inches deep and unpleasantly spongy underfoot. Cutting on their handlights, armed with both weapons and recorders, they gathered at the top of the stairs and waited for Tifa's orders.

"Record everything," Tifa warned them even as she turned on her own unit. "I don't want the executors to negate the contract by accusing us of stealing from their precious relic. Anything collected is to be photographed, initialed, logged, bagged and tagged. Today is mainly to record and map - unless something looks particularly interesting, it's hands off." Pointing to the side, they could see the faded 67 on the wall of the stairwell. "I think we came down two levels during our descent, so we missed the entrance to floor 68 at some point. Apparently levels 69 and 70 collapsed or were destroyed in the past. That's two levels that are lost forever to history. If I have my way, the rest will be thoroughly explored and documented. Let's go, and keep a careful eye on your surroundings. Even after all this time, there could still be monsters hidden in here."

Yuffie grimly hefted her _Conformer_ shuriken while Aerith brandished her _Princess Guard_ staff. Tifa made sure her _Premium Heart_ gloves were fitted correctly as they exited the stairwell and entered the building proper.

The lights showed walls stained by years of humidity, vines and hairy roots. The floor was obscured by dirt and leaves, crisscrossed by more roots and vines, as well as the remains of whatever had been stored in the area. Collapsed crates and metal boxes were crumbling in the corners, while desks and chairs -shoved crazily into stacks- moldered in silence. But the smell of the room was more than just plant decay, mold and mildew. There was a metallic undertone that had them all going on alert, for they had encountered that particular stench before - just not in five hundred year old ruins.

"Heads up, people. That doesn't smell fresh, but don't let your guard down," Tifa cautioned. Carefully picking her way past the discarded furniture, she entered a cavernous space and paused to sweep the area with the recorder, making sure she completely covered everything before advancing.

"The smell is stronger in here, but it's still not new," Yuffie commented as she rolled the back-up tape.

"I don't know what this area might have been for, but they didn't take much away when they abandoned the tower," Aerith added, skirting around the jumbled remains of more crates. "They will go to dust if you so much as touch them."

Tifa couldn't help but smile. "Then don't touch," she teased, shooting a glance back at her friends.

Yuffie blew her a raspberry from the back of the line.

As they ventured deeper into the area, the metallic stench seemed to intensify. Then they sighted the wrecked chamber on the right that had once been closed by an airlock door. Something had blasted that door and half the frame outward, leaving it in tattered ruins. Moss and fungi covered much of the remaining metal, but the smell of old blood was still strong.

Aerith held her light above her head to illuminate the inside. It proved to be a chamber of horrors, with blood dried and crusted in black streaks all over the walls, along with a faint green glow here and there on the floor. "Mako," she whispered, realizing the smell coming from the chamber also had that ozone-like sting of Lifestream. The medical equipment in the room was in shambles, the housing broken, plastic tubing crumpled into odd shapes.

Giving a dramatic shudder, Yuffie pointed out, "There's nothing growing in there. On the outside, yeah, but not in. There aren't even rodent tracks on the floor. That's just a little creepy, you know?"

Tifa was frowning as she searched her memory. There were stories still told of the unethical experimentation conducted by ShinRa, even though the clan had done everything they could to stamp out the rumors over the centuries. She finally captured the name trying to elude her. "Hojo. He was one of the scientist in the… oh, come on, memory. Don't balk me like this." Mentally flailing around for the term, she tapped her forehead in an effort to help her recall.

" **SOLDIER** ," Aerith blurted out, startling both her companions. "There were several attempts to produce the perfect warrior by means of mako enhancement, wasn't there? Hojo was the head of the **SOLDIER** project. An ancestor of mine was involved in another - Project G, I believe, and his name was Faremis Gast."

Yuffie was too young to have delved deeply into the intrigues of ShinRa like Tifa and Aerith, so the mention of mako was a shock to her. "Wait a minute, what are you talking about? Mako enhancement? Isn't that totally illegal nowadays?"

Shivering slightly, Tifa motioned for them to advance further into the room in an effort to get away from that vile chamber, and the black blood that still reeked after all this time. The area widened out just ahead, even though the focal point of the space was a circular enclosure of glass located on the left side. There was no floor inside; a glance down showed the corroded mechanisms for a lift entangled with vines and roots.

Leaning against the glass, Tifa composed her thoughts before replying. "ShinRa used to inject carefully selected men with mako to make them stronger. It also increased some of their senses and their stamina, making them nearly indestructible. There were other things done to them as well, but that knowledge has been lost for a long time." She glanced into the chamber she leaned against and gave another shudder, for it too had faint streaks of mako glowing on the glass. "And you're right, Yuffie. The Coalition outlawed any and all uses for mako centuries ago, once it was established just _what_ mako really is." Gesturing, Tifa continued, "This seems to be a holding area of some sort. I'm wondering if there's a lab below this floor, or above."

Aerith and Yuffie exchanged a look before turning to Tifa. "Let's keep going. Maybe the only way to the next floor is through this one," Aerith suggested.

"Right," Tifa said. Straightening, she headed deeper into the room. But the only things further along were more crumbling crates and a barred lift.

Something was glinting in the corner, and Yuffie carefully picked her way over, digging through the muck with the end of Aerith's staff. The object proved to be an elixir, still sealed tight. "You were right, Aerith. They didn't clear this area at all if this is still here." Taking a bag out of her pocket, she dropped it inside and made a notation on the clear plastic, then handed it to Aerith so she could initial it, as per procedure.

Tifa, meanwhile, was inspecting the lift. "It only goes up." Glancing back, she grinned at Aerith and said, "Two for two, Aerith. You're getting to be a regular Miss-know-it-all."

Fluffing her hair, Aerith drawled, "I know. And I'm so modest about it, too."

All three laughed, then concentrated on the lift. Out of curiosity, Yuffie decided to tap the up button just to be cute. To their incredulous surprise, the platform gave a shudder and rose jerkily to the next floor. She turned wide eyes on Tifa and stammered out, "There is still power in this place?"

Tifa was obviously just as shocked, "I didn't… That is… Wow. After five hundred years there is still mako power here? I thought all the reactors were dismantled."

"Obviously not. Which would be one very good reason for ShinRa to keep people out of here. As you said, anything involving mako was outlawed long ago," Aerith commented as she searched along the wall. Finding a panel, she swung it open and took hold of the main circuit, then blew out a breath and warned, "Brace yourselves. There is no telling what's going to happen when I throw this lever."

The switch gave a grating click as she tripped it, and slowly the overhead lights began to brighten. The radio on Tifa's belt suddenly chirped, and she pulled the unit free and activated the talk function. "This is Tifa, over," she said.

" _Tifa, this is Cid at base. We've got lights coming up all over this damn tower, over."_ His tone was one of contained panic, and there were voices babbling in the background.

"Understood, base. Apparently the building is still mako powered. Please contact the proper authorities and inform them of this development, over."

There was a slight paused before he replied, _"Is this going to cut our project short, boss? Over."_

And Tifa's reply was firm and steely, "Over my dead body, base. Out." Attaching the unit to her belt again, she nodded to the lift and ordered, "Yuffie, let's get that platform down here again, then I'm going to try riding it up. Follow me if it works, but only one at a time, okay?" She could tell they didn't like the idea of separating, but neither vocally objected as she wrestled open the rusted gate and warily climbed aboard. Once settled, she nodded and Yuffie pushed the up button again.

The progression of the lift was jerky and unpleasant, but after a minute or so it entered the floor above then stalled a couple of feet short. Hauling open the gate, Tifa found enough toe holds to get herself out without a problem and called down the shaft, "It doesn't quite make it all the way, so watch that last step, okay?"

There was a faint response from below, and the lift started grinding its way back down. Brushing her rust-spotted hands on her cargoes, Tifa then searched the walls on either side of the elevator shaft. Finding a small bank of switches, she flipped them all to the on position and waited as a faint light appeared overhead then gradually started strengthening. Satisfied, she turned around and froze in place, mouth gaping open and eyes wide. The whole upper floor seemed to be one large room, and Tifa could see where the ceiling was compromised in a few places. But judging by the rebar showing in the gaps, the upper level was heavily fortified.

And she could easily see why. In the center of the room, surrounded by consoles covered in blinking lights, were a dozen capsules filled with the green glow of mako. Rooted to the spot, Tifa didn't turn around when the lift jangled its way back up. In defiance of her orders, Aerith and Yuffie both climbed out to bracket her on either side.

"I could feel how upset you were," Aerith murmured softly, taking hold of one of Tifa's arms. Yuffie clutched the other as the three of them looked over the scene before them. "I'm afraid to go over there," Aerith admitted reluctantly. "I'm ashamed that I feel that way, but I really am scared. Whoever, or whatever, is in those pods has been trapped here by ShinRa for over five hundred years. I hope every last one of that family rots in hell."

Stern condemnation from the normally gentle woman, indeed. Tifa had never heard her speak so grimly. Giving herself a shake to dislodge their clinging hands, she forced herself to march across the room and into the cluster of those chambers. It took a lot of will power to pull out a handkerchief and rub off the condensation on the top of the first one she reached.

The chamber was occupied. And the thought of that person suspended in mako for centuries caused her stomach to twist violently. Wrenching herself clear, she landed on her hands and knees some distance away, praying she could control her revolting system. But no matter how hard she tried, her revulsion won out.

Shaking from head to toe, Aerith stepped closer and peered down into the capsule. The only way to stop the scream from escaping was to clamp a hand over her mouth. For there was a man floating in the glowing mako, air mask strapped to his face and tubes running into various ports on his arms. And the most hideous aspect of it all?

He was breathing. She could _see_ the steady rise and fall of his chest…

Fearing she would be just as sick, Aerith listed to the side and braced a hand on the end of the chamber. Yuffie was tending to Tifa, helping her to sit up and wipe her face. For the next few minutes they made themselves ignore the horror around them and just took care of each other.

Once they finally collected themselves, Tifa pulled her radio off her belt again and signaled base, "This is Tifa. We have a situation down here, and I need you right away, Cid. Over."

" _Just finished being bounced around the offices of the Energy Council. I was told, many times over, that there_ _ **is**_ _no mako energy on this planet anymore. They only let me leave a message so I would quit bothering them. So… I'm on my way. Base, over,"_ was his immediate reply.

"You have to come through level 67 to get up here, Cid. Be careful on the way, because the lift is old, ornery and barely functional. Tifa, out."

His rejoinder had them all chuckling in spite of the horrendous situation. _"Sounds just like me, boss lady. Base, out."_

Tifa didn't want to walk back over and see what was trapped in that chamber again, but she made herself do it all the same. Nothing could be seen of the man's face because of the mask, but the rest of his body was certainly visible as he only wore something like a loincloth. Black hair swirled around the edges of the mask as the liquid in the chamber rose and fell with the man's breathing.

"Impressive musculature," Yuffie muttered softly. "He's well-formed and beautifully toned, but not at all bulky. Bet he can move faster than greased lightning." Tilting her head to the side, she further commented, "Look at the patterns his scars form. Surgical incisions here, here and here," she pointed out the sites. "I've never seen marks like these, either. However they were made, they certainly weren't healed with materia."

The implications weren't pleasant. "They performed surgeries on them without using _Cure_ afterwards?" Tifa gritted out, personally thinking Aerith's _rot in hell_ wasn't a strong enough curse for the entire ShinRa clan. Turning, she wiped off another chamber. The man inside had blonde hair and appeared slightly shorter than the first, though his body was just as beautiful. "Oh, gods," Tifa muttered as she placed a hand over her stomach. If anything, the marks on this man were even worse, particularly the one almost in the center of his chest.

Because Yuffie came from Wutai, with its ingrained love for sharp pointy weapons, she immediately recognized what made it. "Sword thrust. And from the size of that scar, the blade probably went all the way through him right up to the hilt."

The third capsule they examined showed the first hint of haste; the man wasn't on his back like the other two, but twisted onto his side so that his light brown hair formed a floating halo around his head. A broken chain trailed from the handcuff on his right wrist. Because of his position, they could see the white lines running down his spine and across his shoulders. "Look at all those scars down his spinal column. Whatever they were doing probably effected not only nerves and muscles, but bones as well." Face pale, Yuffie crossed over to another that lay with one arm thrown over his head, mashing down his red hair. "Same thing with this one. What in all _Ifrit_ were they trying to make these men into?"

A horrendous metal shriek had all of them jumping out of their skins as Cid Highwind practically propelled the ancient lift upward by cursing the air blue. A hard swat with his over-sized spear knocked the rusted gate clean off its hinges as he clamored the rest of the way up, voice rising in ire the higher he went. With one final wobble he was free, and still cursing. Then he caught sight of what lay before him and the words died off.

Hobbling over in his uneven bandy-legged gait, Cid rested a hand on the nearest capsule and swore softly, "Dying off peacefully was too good for ShinRa. They should have been drawn and quartered years ago, because I can guarantee every one of them knew what was in here. And they knew what the people would do if it was ever discovered, so they made damn sure it wasn't." Muttering vile imprecations under his breath, he moved from chamber to chamber, fingers tapping on his thighs in agitation. He finally returned to the first one and started examining the panel on the side, hunkering down to get a better look.

The lift started rumbling again, and in a short while it returned bearing Cid's wife, Shera Highwind. Yuffie darted over to help her up the last few feet, as she was burdened with two backpacks and Cid's ever-present tool box. Her expression was very solemn as she stood regarding the capsules residing in the center of the room. "I can't say why, but I had a feeling he was going to need his toys. I'm very sorry to see I was right." The older woman let Yuffie take one of the backpacks as they made their way over to the others.

Shera opened the tool box and extracted a fat cylinder, untying the twine to roll it out at Cid's feet. Screwdrivers, wrenches, picks, wedges and other paraphernalia were tucked into various pockets of the water-proof material, and Cid reached for several by feel alone, so used to the position of each tool he didn't need to look to locate what he wanted. Popping off the panel revealed a dizzying array of lights and switches.

As Shera knelt beside him, a marker and a sheet of tiny rectangular stickers in her hand, Cid started to rattle off letters and numbers as he began to trace the wiring. Once Shera had written them on the stickers, he affixed one beside either a switch or a light. When he had everything labeled, he motioned Shera to the side and gestured at Tifa. "I think I've figured out how to open these critters, but we'll need a full medical crew in here before I do. They've been floating in mako for five centuries. I don't know what shape these men are gonna be in when they come out of these things, or if they will even survive once I cut the chambers off."

That was when the consequences of their find really hit the entire group. Tifa looked at Cid and asked, "These are the missing **SOLDIER** s, aren't they?"

Cid blew out a breath and hazarded a guess. "I believe so. My great-grand pappy used to tell me stories about them, about how that general went insane and had to be hunted down. They captured him, I think, and some of the **SOLDIER** s figured out what set him off. I don't know if they healed him or not, but they managed to take a huge chunk out of ShinRa in retaliation before they just up and disappeared right off the face of the planet. I've heard about the propaganda ShinRa released afterwards, but the records my grandfather unearthed during that dig in Healin stated clearly that the **SOLDIER** s did not attack Midgar at all. They went after old man ShinRa and some scientist… ah… what's the name? Hojo," he said with a snap of his fingers. "And another, Hollander, I think."

"So how did they end up here? And why? ShinRa made it a habit to completely erase any who challenged them." Aerith asked, standing up to look into the first chamber again. "And how is there still power in this building? All the reactors _were_ dismantled once Midgar was abandoned. It was one of the main requirements the Coalition demanded of ShinRa."

"Maybe," Yuffie suggested hesitantly, "ShinRa didn't put them here. Maybe someone else did this to… I don't know… protect them or something? And ShinRa found out about it and decided to make sure they stayed trapped forever?"

No one knew the answers to Aerith and Yuffie's questions. The true story of the rise, and fall, of ShinRa as a world power was so fragmented by lies, half-truths and cover-ups that most had given up trying to figure out what actually happened during that time in history.

"We _have_ to open one of these chambers," Tifa insisted. "And we have to do it before the Energy Council decides to come and investigate our claims that a mako reactor is still functioning in these ruins. If these _are_ the **SOLDIER** s, if by some miracle they even survive being removed from these chambers, they will be the greatest discovery this world has ever known. They could tell us what ShinRa really was, what they really did. No more rumors or gossip, just the truth." She stepped forward, making an expansive gesture to indicate the whole room. "There has to be some kind of computer function to keep these capsules up and running. If we can get into the mainframe, just think of the history that might be recovered, possibly untainted by the relentless propaganda of the ShinRa dynasty. Just _think_ of it."

It was Shera who broke the silence in the room. "Yuffie, get Barret down here with our medical stock. If we're going to try and release one of them, we have to be prepared ahead of time. Washing the mako off them will be crucial, as well as getting them warm and dry. Tifa, which one do we start with?"

Galvanized, the members of the group began to gather the supplies needed. Within the hour, all nine of the team were standing over that first capsule as Cid worked to finagle the controls enough to release the lock on the lid. Tifa stood off to the side, shivering slightly in apprehension. As much as she wanted to know how the **SOLDIER** s came to be here, she was terrified that the one she had chosen might be yet another sacrifice to ShinRa's greed.

Aerith stepped closer to rub a hand down her arm. "It's the right decision, Teef. No matter if he lives or dies, we need to release him from this prison. Five hundred years is long enough to linger in purgatory."

"Okay, kiddies. It's time." Cid watched as Barret Wallace and Reeve Tuesti worked their fingers under the lid on either side of the capsule, ready to pull it out of the way as soon as it was unlocked. "Here we go."

A soft click sounded, and both men heaved the glass slab up over their heads, sidestepping quickly to allow the others to take their places. Wearing gloves that came all the way up to their shoulders, they reached into the capsule, disconnected the lines running into his arms, and grasped the man, one to each limb with Aerith supporting his head. Shuffling their feet over the uneven floor, they laid him out on the absorbent pads as Shera immediately yanked off the mask and started wringing out his hair.

With Tifa, Aerith, Yuffie and Shera working in tandem, they scrubbed him down, then stood back as the men turned him over so they could get his back. It, too, was marked with the scars snaking down his spine and across his shoulders. Resolutely ignoring the stirrings of pity, the women finished with their task then moved out of the way as Cid and Barret removed the loincloth and cleaned that area. They might not be able to save his life, but they could at least respect his right to dignity.

Once more they lifted him, allowing Yuffie to roll up the pads while Tifa replaced them with an air mattress. The second his body was down he was swaddled in blankets, with a towel wrapped around his wet hair. The entire procedure had taken exactly four minutes.

Tifa sank to her knees beside him and laid two fingers over the pulse in his neck. Its strong and steady beat reassured her enough that she let out a sigh and hung her head in relief. Aerith squatted down on his other side, curiously touching the scar on his lower left jaw. The two marks made a large X on his skin. "I wonder how, and when, he got that," she murmured softly.

Cid and Barret were watching closely for a reaction, both ready and equipped to initiate CPR if necessary. They dived in the second his eyes flew open and he gasped, hands rising to his chest as his face went dead white in shock. Pandemonium reigned for the next few minutes as they ended up administered a stimulate directly to his heart when the paddles didn't, or perhaps couldn't, work on him. No matter how high they set the level, his body didn't react to the electric charges at all.

Finally his pulse leveled out then steadied. His eyes were closed again but his coloring had returned. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Cid gave Barret a look as he held out a hand that was still shaking from sheer adrenaline rush. "I don't know how we pulled that off."

Shaking his huge head, Barret replied, "And I don't know if it's gonna work if he flat-lines again." Though not normally so pessimistic, he couldn't understand how the man was still alive. The physical shock of changing from one environment to another so suddenly should have killed him instantly.

Reeve sat back on his heels once the excitement was over and commented quietly, "I didn't know about their eyes." As the archivist of the group, he was more familiar with the history of the **SOLDIER** s than any of them. Leaning forward, he carefully pushed up the man's eyelid and studied the green streaks radiating out from his pupils. Even in the harsh lighting of the overheads, the glow was noticeable. "I wonder if this was a side effect of the mako injected into their bodies or their five hundred year soak in those capsules."

One of the researchers, Jessie Lightfoot, stood staring for long minutes before voicing her question. "How do we know they've been in here for all that time?"

Tifa blinked up at her and admitted, "We don't. I just assume that since the tower has been closed for that long…" Turning, she addressed the others of the group, "Are we jumping to conclusions too fast?"

Not surprisingly, it was Reeve that answered. "They disappeared shortly after the city was abandoned, Jessie. Records indicate there was a massive world-wide search initiated by the ruling ShinRa at that time, I think his name was Rufus." Rising, he walked over to the next capsule in line and examined the blonde man floating in the softly glowing green water. "The accounts never stated if they were trying to capture, kill, or recover them." Looking back at the team, he continued, "Have you checked all the capsules? The ones I've seen all seem to be young men, somewhere in their twenties. That's… a lot younger than I expected **SOLDIER** s to be. General Sephiroth was in his mid-to-late thirties, I believe."

"Would you recognize the general if he's in one of these chambers?" Aerith asked, watching as the others started wiping off the remaining capsules. For reasons she couldn't explain, she didn't want to leave the man's side. So she stayed, with her fingers curled around his and a hand laying lightly on his shoulder.

Reeve gave a soft snort as he peered down into the chamber he had just cleaned. The man inside appeared to be bald, and his build seemed a lot bulkier than the others. Reeve also noted he didn't have any of the surgical scars so noticeable on the rest. "Recognize him personally? No. ShinRa made sure to destroy as many of the records and images concerning the **SOLDIER** s as possible. After all this time we don't even have any names except the general's. The only facts I have are that he was tall and had long white hair."

Yuffie sudden shout of "WHOA!" had them all running, even Aerith. Floating in the chamber was something that looked like a cross between a lion and a wolf, with bright red fur and a tail tip that rippled like it was on fire. A deep scar slashed down over the right eyelid, and there were feathers and beads braided into his mane. Etched steel cuffs encircled all four legs just above the paws while a brand stood out sharply against the fur on his shoulder - XIII.

"Now _that_ I recall," Jessie said firmly. "There was a species of intelligent feloids that inhabited Cosmo Canyon at one point. Fierce fighters, they guarded the people settled there for centuries before it was believed they died out." Looking to Reeve, she asked, "How much can you remember about Professor Hojo and his methods? Wasn't he the one that would number his experiments?"

Before Reeve could answer, Tifa's radio chirped for attention. Snatching it up, she said, "Tifa here, over."

" _It's Wedge, boss lady. I just arrived up top and found base camp empty. Over."_

"Yeah, we've found… I'll explain later. Just start packing up. I'll send a crew to assist you. Tifa, over."

" _Sure thing, boss lady. Wedge, out."_

Sticking the radio into a pocket, Tifa motioned towards the lift. "Jessie, Biggs, Barret and Shera, go help him. I want everything brought into this room and not a trace of our presence left up top. Cid, I need you to figure out how to keep these overheads operational but get everything else cut off. If that can't be done, we'll just have to set up the light stations in here. I don't want anything advertising that this building still has power. If the Energy Council decides to do a fly-by out of curiosity, let's not leave anything showing that might make them suspicious. Go, people, go!"

But as the team scattered to obey her orders, Tifa couldn't help but note that Aerith had returned to the black-haired man's side…


	2. Discovery, Part 2

**A/N:** Let me tell you, honestly, that I am enjoying this story immensely. Since it is set five hundred years in the future, the possibilities for mischief and mayhem are practically endless. And I'm afraid my imagination is running ahead of me, shouting "Yee-ha!" with evil and decidedly wicked glee…

 **Chapter Summary:** The first **SOLDIER** released from his chamber is awake and aware - thanks to Aerith's intervention. Although they are hungry for the knowledge he can impart, there are other concerns. The capsules are on the verge of failing, as is the energy source that keeps them running. And someone has informed the Coalition about what they've found in the ruins, which means they have a traitor in their midst. But when the next **SOLDIER** is released, they make an even more unsettling discovery…

 **Discovery, Part 2**

By Ivy Elise Tanté

All was quiet on floor 68 of the old ShinRa tower. The battery-operated light stations hummed softly in the still air, a sound more felt that heard. To Tifa, that faint background hum was just another part of her archeological adventures, as was the deplorable camp food and the always needed bug spray.

"Both teams just reported in," Aerith said, readjusting the tiny receiver in her ear. "Yuffie's is on 62, and Barret's just entered 60. And they are finding the same thing as up here - almost nothing was taken from the tower when the city was abandoned. Wedge says the snack and drink machines are still fully stocked." There was amusement in her voice as she gave the report; Wedge's attention was usually focused on food, in one way or another.

"He would notice," Tifa echoed Aerith's thoughts with a smile of her own. She glanced up as Reeve walked towards them, data pad in hand. "Find anything yet?"

Squatting on his heels, he offered the device as he said, "Cid was able to hack into the system easily enough, but doesn't want to start poking and prying too intently until all the **SOLDIER** s are out of the capsules. As you would expect, the computers are right on the verge of crashing after five hundred years of neglect and humidity." He watched as Tifa reached the part of the report he thought was the most interesting and smiled as her eyes went wide. "As you can see, the tower _isn't_ powered by mako after all. Someone installed a turbine in the waterfall in the southeastern quadrant of the city, and connected it to the conduits already running throughout the tower. It's a rather ingenious apparatus, but Cid says it was hastily cobbled together and won't work for much longer."

As she often did now, Aerith smoothed a hand over the dark, feathery hair of the man taken out of the chamber only a couple of hours ago. "So we found them just in time?" she asked.

"So it would seem." Reeve watched the man closely. "It's strange to think he might be from five hundred years in the past. All that he knew is not only gone, but much of it has either collapsed from time or been razed to make room for new buildings, new towns. Wutai is one of the few places in this world with still-standing structures dating back to his period."

Tifa was about to reply when rabid curses suddenly erupted from off to the right. All three glanced over to see Cid literally hopping up and down with rage, mouthing obscenities as he confronted the small laptop jury-rigged into the deactivated capsule they had taken the first **SOLDIER** out of earlier. The words _unauthorized, illegal_ and _passcodes_ were prominent in his rant and indicated he had run into something in the security system that balked his efforts.

Reeve winced at a particularly vile imprecation, shaking his head in resignation. "If only he weren't such a good pilot and computer technician," he mourned quietly as the flood of vitriol continued unabated.

"Think of him as our very profane comic relief," Aerith suggested with a grin that changed rapidly to alarm as the **SOLDIER** twitched slightly and gave a soft moan.

How in the world Cid could have heard such a low sound over the incredible volume of noise he was making was impossible to guess. All of a sudden he was across the room, med kit in hand as the man made another sound, this one almost a squeak or a hiccup. Without warning his eyes opened fully, the nearly violet irises ringed with that unsettling mako green stain around his pupils. He lay quiet for a long moment before his eyes finally focused, and latched onto the figure nearest him.

He blinked in surprise at the sight of Aerith sitting beside him, holding his hand so tenderly in both of hers. A dark eyebrow rose as a faint smile appeared. "Heaven?" he asked, his voice little more than a grating whisper.

The question had Tifa nearly rolling with laughter as Aerith smiled down at the stranger. "If you're asking if you have died and gone to heaven, the answer is a resounding _no_. I'm no angel, as my friend can well attest." She accepted the small bottle of water Cid offered, carefully slipping the straw between the man's lips and urging, "Just a little for right now. Your throat must feel like sandpaper from the sound of your voice."

Obediently he took a sip and grunted when she pulled the straw away. "Drinking too much at first could lead to cramps - you should know that already." She had to grin at the sour expression on his face as he clearly mouthed the words, _Yes, mom._ "Mind your manners now, son."

That had him laughing, but he ended up groaning in pain as the movement jarred muscles unused for literally centuries. The spasms had him shaking so hard it was all Cid could do to inject the mild muscle relaxer into him. "Knew he was gonna need this, so I had it ready. Didn't think I'd have to wrestle him down to get it in, though. Should take effect fairly quickly since he don't have anything in his stomach." He nodded towards the tray set up a short distance away. "Got something for that, too. Just a mild broth and watered down apple juice, but it won't overload his system."

To the four observers, it seems to take forever for the spasms to finally stop. By the time the man was once against still, his skin had taken on an ashy hue and his chest was heaving in great, gasping breaths. "Easy," Aerith said softly, once more stroking his hair in an effort to help calm him.

Showing a tenderness that was always startling to those that knew only his irascible temper, Cid propped the man up against Aerith's shoulder and proceeded to spoon the broth into his mouth, humming softly in encouragement. "That's the way, kiddo. Get some nourishment into that empty gullet of yours."

Between sips of the juice, the man rasped out, "How are the others?"

Tifa managed to beat Cid to the answer, "You're the first released." She gave the pilot a stern look to which he rolled his eyes and went back to feeding the man. "We… wanted to make sure we could handle your care before trying another chamber."

The **SOLDIER** was careful not to laugh again as he replied, "We're a hearty lot, we **SOLDIER** s. And the Turks aren't too far behind." He opened his mouth for the approaching spoon, but Cid's hand froze in place as he glanced back at Reeve.

"Turks," Reeve repeated softly. It was a name that had inspired fear and loathing centuries ago. "There are four men and a woman that don't bear any scars from the enhancement procedures. Are they Turks?" he asked carefully.

Brows furrowed, the man looked from one to the other in confusion. "You don't know who they are?" There was something incredulous in his tone, and his regard became suspicious. "Who are you people, anyway? You're not from ShinRa - you can't be with the way you're talking."

Aerith couldn't bear the thought of seeing him writhing in agony again and slid her arms around him, resting her head against his temple. "Please don't get upset again. If you'll just promise to hear us out, we'll tell you everything." She could feel the tension in his body, and his heart was pounding beneath her fingertips. There was no way for her to tell if he was afraid or angry.

"I'm listening," he finally said, his tone of voice quiet and cool. The glowing eyes were no longer fixed on the people around him, but rather trying to assess the room and its contents from where he lay.

Glancing at the others, Tifa could see that no one really knew how to start explaining and mentally sighed. Shifting to sit cross-legged beside Aerith, she told him, "It would make things easier if we knew your name."

Again he seemed surprised by their ignorance. A long moment passed before he finally said, "I'm Zack Fair, **SOLDIER** 1st Class. After General Sephiroth's death in Banora, I was elected the nominal leader of our forces."

"Well," Aerith said softly, "at least we started at the top." Lifting her head, she ran a gentle hand through the black, flyaway hair. "I'm Aerith, Zack. Cid is supposed to be feeding you, and Tifa is heading this expedition. Reeve is our archivist." Unable to help herself, she tightened her hold into an embrace. "And so much has happened since you entered the chambers. The problem is that we don't have a lot of answers to give you right now." She could feel how stiffly he held himself and his tension worried her.

When Zack didn't reply, Reeve cleared his throat and tried to explain, "You've been in those capsules for a very long time. Far longer than was ever intended, I think. I truly believe ShinRa did everything it could to make sure you were never discovered." Quickly, cleanly, he offered the shocking truth. "Five hundred years, Zack. That's how long we think the **SOLDIER** s have been hidden here. We don't know your name because ShinRa has worked frantically to destroy all traces of your existence for centuries."

Zack opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. What color his complexion had regained after the attack earlier faded away, leaving his eyes to resemble burnt holes in his face. In the silence that descended, only his ragged breathing could be heard.

Holding him so close, Aerith could almost feel the strength, the will that sustained him slipping away. Understanding was slow to penetrate her awareness, but the sudden falter in his heartbeat made her realize the shock was killing him. Zack Fair was literally dying in her arms!

The fear galvanized her. Though she and her mother rarely called on the abilities bestowed upon them by their bloodline, Aerith knew how to activate them and did so without a second thought. Pressing both hands to his chest, she closed her eyes and reached out to the world around her, opening herself up to the touch of the planet. Connection came in a rush of confusing visions and sensations, but the power necessary to save the man she held flooded through her body and passed into the **SOLDIER** in a blaze of golden light. Beneath her hands, she could feel Zack's heartbeat become steady and rhythmic again as his body relaxed under the onslaught of healing energy.

As the glow slowly faded, Aerith gradually emerged from her semi-trance. Such communication with the Lifestream often left her shaken, for the images conveyed to her during the healing were the memories of someone that had once lived… and died. Most of the time they were benign - giving her little flashes of the everyday life of those no longer with them.

Sometimes, however, they weren't. What she had just seen would stay with her for a long time and explained the _real_ reason ShinRa had tried so frantically to eradicate the **SOLDIER** s from history.

Zack took a deep breath and let it out slowly. There was no pain in the action, and no stiffness remained in his limbs. Reaching up, his hand touched hers where they rested on his chest. There was wonder in his voice as he said, "You weren't using materia. Because of the mako in my system I can feel when it's activated near me, and that was something entirely different." Moving easily now, he released himself from her embrace and rose to his feet with fluid grace. He stood staring down at her, his expression unreadable, for several long minutes.

Then his gaze took in the room, at the damages wrought by time, the rust and dirt and vines in evidence. "So, it's true," he finally whispered. A glance down at himself produced a pained wince. His only article of clothing was a pair of black boxers. "Hm. I seem to be missing my uniform."

Something in the way he stated the obvious so calmly gave the first real hint of his personality. Tifa laughed, drawing his attention to her. "Don't worry. The view is _quite_ excellent from my perspective," she assured him, grinning cheekily. The comment was not out of line; in her work, Tifa had seen many men stripped to the waist in deference to the heat during a dig. Zack had every one of them beat by a couple hundred miles.

The comment made Zack snort lightly as he reached up to rub at the back of his neck. It was telling that he wasn't embarrassed by his lack of attire. There was a confidence to him that said he was comfortable with what and who he was.

Reeve also rose to his feet, heading for the boxes of supplies tucked into one corner of the room. "We don't have any uniforms, but I can provide you with clothing."

Zack shook his head, making the black spikes of his hair bob and weave as he walked over the inactive chamber where Cid's laptop still rested. Reaching down, he pressed on a certain part of the inner wall and was rewarded with a resounding - _click_ \- that sounded sharply through the room. A shallow drawer slid open along the base of the capsule.

A strange, shimmering light dimmed then went out when he passed his hand over a small green globe embedded in one of the corners. The drawer contained several items - among them clothing and armor, along with a huge sword that glimmered in the illumination from the portable light stations. Grasping the hilt, he handled the immense weapon with an ease that shocked and alarmed his audience.

Feeling their sudden apprehension, he smiled reassuringly and told them, "Just greeting an old friend." Hefting the blade for just a moment longer, he then propped it up against the capsule and reached for the uniform neatly folded on top of what looked like a notebook. "Give me a minute or two to throw on this getup, then we can get down to business."

Before more could be said, Tifa's radio crackled as Barret reported in. _"Base, this is Barret. Heading down to Floor 58. I got visuals of everything, and we're gonna need 'em. It's gonna take years to catalog all this mess ShinRa left behind. Barret, over."_

"Barret, this is Tifa. Just keep those recorders on. I have a feeling that evidence will be needed before much longer. Tifa, out." Clipping the unit back onto her belt, she saw that Zack hadn't been kidding about only needing a couple of minutes. He was fully dressed and working to secure the arrangement of belts that fastened pauldrons onto his shoulders. "Quick work," she commented.

Looking over at her, Zack said quietly, "Training, actually." Picking up the sword again, he gave the ungainly looking blade a quick twirl over his head and slapped it against his back. There was a ringing clang of metal against metal, and when he released the hilt, the red handle remained sticking up over his right shoulder. He pulled on leather gloves, then fisted his hands at his hips and took another look around. "Five hundred years," he mused.

It was amazing what authority the uniform gave him. He might still look like the 'pretty boy' Cid accused him of being, but the outfit emphasized the excellent physique Tifa had so admired, and the weapon said louder than words this was not some wanna be pretender trying to look tough. The glowing eyes rounded out a picture of a calm, competent warrior that knew few peers.

Reeve's cell phone rang, and he quietly excused himself to answer it.

Picking up the conversation, Aerith admitted, "The **SOLDIER** s seemed to disappear roughly five hundred years ago. Did you go into the chambers before or after Midgar was abandoned?"

Walking over to the capsule beside his, Zack looked down at the blonde floating in the glowing mako. "Most of us decided to do this right after the reactors were dismantled. Sephiroth was dead, most of our division was either killed or captured by ShinRa" -he gave a shrug- "and one was pretty much the same as the other. With Hojo, Hollander and President ShinRa gone, Rufus had taken over the corporation and given the execution order for all **SOLDIER** s. There was no one we could turn to, nowhere left to run." His scowl would have been frightening had they known nothing of his personality. "Cloud here," he said, tapping the chamber he stood over, "was so badly wounded in that last battle with Sephiroth that he was in a coma. Kunsel was MIA, and Tseng's efforts to help us put him and his Turks right in Rufus' crosshairs." Scrubbing at his face, he gave a sigh. "Genesis wasn't handling why Sephiroth went insane very well and Lazard… he was in shock since everything happened so fast, without any warning. One minute we were the elite of the elite, the next hunted outlaws."

"What started everything?" Aerith asked wonderingly. She longed to wrap her arms around him and soothe, to stroke his silky flyaway hair again, but the time for that was long past.

Zack sighed as he braced his hands on the capsule and leaned in to closely study the scars marring the blonde's chest. "I think it all started rolling downhill when we discovered Hojo's secret lab in the Nibelheim Reactor. We found mako pods similar to these filled with… things. Things that _looked_ like monsters - but smelled like humans. And his notes…" Straightening, he scrubbed at his eyes as though trying to remove the images his memory recalled. "All these case files, hundreds, thousands of them, containing details of his experiments, the successes, the failures. Reading just one of them turned my stomach inside out." His grim humor was biting, "A man used to gory battles with monsters, and a few lines from one of those reports has me hurling."

Horrified, Tifa gasped out, "Did ShinRa have anything to do with that?!"

Anger was suddenly visible in the nearly-violet eyes as he took a step towards them, "Anything to do with?! They were funding his exploits! ShinRa wanted perfect warriors to protect their vast assets, their power and privilege - and looked to Hojo and Hollander to create that for them. They gave them anything they wanted; labs, equipment, personnel, test subjects. And until the **SOLDIER** process was finally deemed a success, none - _not one_ \- of those test subjects willingly submitted to the treatments."

Before the women could respond to the sickening knowledge, Reeve stepped forward. His face was solemn as he informed them, "That was a representative of the Energy Council. I'm afraid they took Cid's word on the mako reactors being active, and are planning an inspection shortly. I sent them the data I accessed about the water turbine, but the fact there's _any_ kind of viable power source in these ruins has them in quite a dither." Looking at Zack, he suggested, "We need to get the others out of those chambers as quickly as possible. When Aerith switched on the circuits, the system was seriously over-taxed. We cut everything off quickly -mainly to avoid anyone noticing the tower lights- but by that time the damage was already done. It's only a matter of time before either the computers or the turbine crashes."

"Right," Zack said immediately, jumping into action in a way that let them know he was well accustomed to command. He turned to Aerith. "Do you think you have enough energy to heal them as we pull them out? Or would that put too much of a strain on you?"

She blinked, as startled by his quick response as his complete acceptance of her abilities. Most were unsettled enough by her healing talents to avoid her once exposed. "Um…" she hesitated. "Give me just a minute." Bowing her head, she cautiously opened herself up. Once contact was established, she got a repeat of those horrific images again, but determinedly pushed them aside. It was never easy to communicate with the world, since she was only half Cetra, but she tried to pose the question in such a way that the planet would understand what she needed.

To her surprise, she received the answer almost immediately as a shimmering green light seemed to envelope the room.

Zack whirled around, frantically jumping backwards as Cloud's capsule opened without warning. The mako inside evaporated into a rapidly thinning mist as the needles in his arms fell free. Though he was shocked by what was happening, Zack still recovered quicker than the others in the room. Reaching in, he yanked off the oxygen mask and scooped Cloud up. Bending down, he laid him in Aerith's waiting arms, watching anxiously as she placed her hands on his chest and concentrated.

Nothing happened.

Opening her eyes, Aerith looked down at the blonde in confusion. "He's… already healed himself somehow," she said incredulously, laying a hand on the side of his face. Was he…? _How_ could he, especially since he wasn't an Ancient…? Aerith was too confused by the circumstances to hazard a guess.

His ash blonde hair, pale skin and facial features gave him a decidedly angelic appearance. That was strengthened when his eyes slowly drifted open to reveal tropical ocean blue irises, also stained with mako green like Zack's. The color was so saturated it was almost a shock to behold. Cloud's gaze was unfocused as he stared blindly up at the ceiling, and they were all startled when he said in a soft, strangely echoing voice, "She's still here."

Even as Zack went down on one knee beside him, Reeve's cell phone rang again.

Snatching it out of his pocket, he snapped out, "Reeve." The voice on the other end was an indecipherable babble that had his eyes going wide and his jaw dropping. " _WHAT!?_ " Pacing in circles in agitation, he rapped out sharply, "Who told you that?!" Several more jerky steps and he demanded, "They're _what_?!" The babble continued for several minutes before he swore venomously and ended the call.

Tifa stepped towards him, "What is it, Reeve?" she asked, nervously wringing her hands. Unlike Cid, Reeve rarely displayed temper of any kind and the man practically had flames shooting out of his ears.

Before he could answer, Cloud said in that otherworldly tone, "We are betrayed from within."

Though he did a double-take at the words, Reeve shrugged it off as he pocketed the phone. "Actually, he's right. Someone informed the Coalition we've made an important -and very dangerous- discovery in these ruins. That was Yuffie's father, Godo, calling to warn us before the Council descends. He also said the executors are trying their level best to cancel our expedition into the tower by filing motions and injunctions left and right," Reeve informed them, eyes narrowed in anger.

"Executors?" Zack asked curiously.

Tifa irritably snatched up a branch from the floor and tossed it across the room to vent her ire. "The company handling the ShinRa estate. The line died out about six years ago, which is why we're finally getting to explore this tower. We had to fight them tooth and nail before this expedition was approved."

All were startled when Zack suddenly started laughing. "Oh, that's just too perfect!"

"What are you talking about, Zack?" Aerith asked him, looking a little worried.

Without warning, the steady hum from the capsules suddenly dropped, and the lights on the computer panels dimmed slightly before returning to normal.

"First things first," Tifa said, gesturing towards the center of the room. "We have to get them out of there. Recall the teams to help us, Cid. Reeve, Aerith; get the supplies ready." Both scrambled to obey as the lights blinked before slowly brightening again.

When she would have turned away, Zack reached out and gently took hold of her arm. "And what would you have me do?"

Thinking the situation over, she finally pointed to Cloud, who was now sitting up with his back resting against his chamber. "See if you can get anything else out of him." She hesitated, then admitted, "I've heard that weird echoing tone before in conjunction with the unfocused eyes. He's acting like Aerith when she's connected to the planet." And Tifa had to wonder why Aerith hadn't said anything. Could she feel if someone was in contact with the world? Surely she could sense when her mother was communicating with the planet.

Zack did a little echoing of his own when he repeated in confusion, "Connected to the… planet?"

"I don't have time to explain right now, just see what you can do." Hearing the screech of the lift, she headed over to put whoever was arriving to work.

-‚¬ƒ-

They were ready to begin before Cloud spoke again. Over the past hour his gaze had gradually sharpened, but he still moved as though he were sleepwalking. He was just mobile enough to dress with some help from Zack.

Reeve was surprised that Cloud's uniform, although similar in style to Zack's, was a different color and had other accessories and accoutrements. Somehow he had thought their outfits would be the same. His weapon was like Zack's in the overall shape and size, but with all the hinges and ports, Reeve suspected it could be separated into different sections.

As the black-haired **SOLDIER** fastened the pauldron with its snarling wolf insignia over Cloud's left shoulder, the blonde looked up at him and said solemnly, "We were deceived. Rayleigh belonged to ShinRa."

Blinking, Zack backed up and stammered out, "What? Why? How?" Getting a hold of himself, he asked in a quiet tone, "How would you know that, Cloud?"

He hadn't told anyone but Tseng of his plans to message Dr. Rayleigh with their location before going into stasis. Though she was an employee of ShinRa, and the surgeon in many of their enhancement procedures, she had displayed both compassion and integrity - two traits Hojo knew nothing of. His reasoning for the decision was her knowledge: Should anything go wrong with the stasis process itself, she would know how to save them. That had been particularly important with the Turks, who didn't have the **SOLDIER** s' endurance or accelerated healing abilities.

But Cloud's answer certainly wasn't very informative as he replied in that dreamy tone, "I was told."

Aerith took hold of his arm and gently turned him. Resting her hands on his shoulders, she told him sternly, "Cloud, you need to disconnect. It's _dangerous_ to stay in such close contact with the planet for a long time. Its knowledge is too myriad, too vast for a human mind to handle."

Cloud shook his head. There was still no expression on his face as he said hollowly, "Too many threats surround us. She's still here." Before he could explain further, his eyes rolled back in his head and he went down in a heap. Zack caught him, and looked up at Aerith in mute appeal.

"I can't help him until he severs the connection," she reluctantly told him, unable to stop herself this time as she ran a hand over his silky black hair to comfort him.

Despite the evident self-confidence of the **SOLDIER** , the familiarity of the caress caused Zack to blush faintly.

She couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry, but you were mine to take care of for nearly two hours. I suppose I could blame it on mom genes," she said speculatively, head tilted to one side in a decidedly flirty fashion. "But that's not the truth, is it?"

There was something in her eyes that startled Zack. All teasing aside -and he was the type to use that method to relieve tension as well- he recognized that haunted look. She possessed unwelcome knowledge, and it somehow had to do with the **SOLDIER** s.

"We're ready!" Tifa abruptly called from across the room, motioning for Aerith to get a move on.

"Coming!" she replied, and hurried over after giving Cloud one last, anxious glance.

Zack was left staring down at his friend, wondering if he had the courage to ask what she'd seen when she healed him…

-‚¬ƒ-

"This should _never_ have happened," the man said angrily into the phone. " _Why_ was permission granted for the expedition at all? We paid good money to keep Lockhart out of that blasted tower!"

The voice on the other end of the line was an irritating buzz _, "Godo Kisaragi decided to get involved when his daughter signed onto the team, apparently. His name, combined with both Lockhart and Gainsborough, made the Coalition step in. Once they saw how many petitions had been filed and denied, and the huge number of grants promised to the archeologists, they over-rode the court's decision and gave them a month to explore."_

The whine in the informant's tone grated. "And you didn't think to warn us before it was too late? All that money wasted, when a simple call could have avoided this situation. I will not soon forget this," he promised darkly.

" _But… but, sir… I…"_ the informant stammered.

Leaning forward, the man said ominously, "Get me whatever reports have been filed. Lockhart is famous for keeping detailed records throughout her explorations, and I _want_ them. What's in that tower could very well destroy the ShinRa legacy forever, and I will _not_ allow that to happen." He listened to the terrified yammering of his weasel and smiled grimly.

One way or the other, he would salvage the situation to his satisfaction. And the **SOLDIER** s would die, as they should have five hundred years ago when they betrayed the cooperation. The ShinRa clan was no more, but they would have their revenge.

Not matter what it took to accomplish…


End file.
